Although CSL is often said to have indicated a preference for Nephew as
first in the series, I think I looked up what he'd said at some point, and I
think it wasn't so clear as that makes it sound. I think it was something
like "You should read Nephew first if you want to read them in chronological
order" in response to a question from someone
saying they wanted to read them in the order of occurrence. But this is
from a man who gave at least two contradictory accounts of how he came to
write LWW. "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

In any case, I don't think the argument that Nephew should come first is
persuasive for many people. Unfortunately, Donald Gresham and HarperCollins
are convinced of it. I read them aloud in that order, years ago, to my
younger siblings, and realized then that it worked better the other way,
with Nephew following after LWW, and actually after the
first four, as they follow after one another pretty well. LWW, PC, VDT
and SC, with MN and H&HB maybe substituted at any point after LWW if the
next of the sequence of 4 isn't available--you really wouldn't want to read
SC or VDT before PC, would you? Though I started with Silver Chair, and
then LWW or Dawn Treader and Magician's Nephew. I think
everyone's agreed that Last Battle belongs last, though. Astonishing.
Even Kay Lindskoog and Walter Hooper probably agree about that .